There’s Many Ways to Celebrate and Experience Island Life

Many come to Grand Cayman looking for the “true” Caymanian culture. With over 135 nationalities living together in on a small island, ours is an eclectic melting pot of artistic, historical, ethnic, and gastronomic experiences.

Food is the great equalizer, allowing all people to share in the rich history of Grand Cayman and the many different people that have made it home. So, let’s look at a few traditional Cayman dishes as a way to introduce you to our culture.

Caymanian food pre-dates supermarkets and refrigerators; so, as one would expect, it is focused on the things that could be grown and caught locally. For example:

• Turtle in the form of Turtle stew is the national dish. The best turtle stew is made by combining turtle meat with what are known as ‘menavlins’: these are the other parts of the turtle (except for the shell). Menavlins are considered an important component of the distinctive flavour.

• Fish Rundown was the traditional way to cook fish. For this dish, the fish is cooked in coconut milk with Cayman seasoning peppers, pumpkin, plantain, onions, dumplings and ‘breadkind’ (starchy vegetables). It is a very simple but extremely tasty dish.

• Conch Stew is the traditional Caymanian way to eat conch but it is also delicious marinated and eaten with crackers. The best way to enjoy conch (when in season) is on a boat trip where the crew will dive for the conch, marinate it and serve it on board.

Visit us at the front desk and we’ll be sure to recommend a place to try some of these traditional dishes!